A Hero's Tragedy (Black Hawk: An Archer's Tale)
A Hero's Tragedy '''is the third chapter/ episode in Black Hawk: An Archer's Tale. It details the events happening after Ryan Padilla's training all the way to the tragedy that struck his new family... It was published on March 8, 2012. Chapter Three: A Hero's Tragedy ''Location: Roostville, Chicago'' ''Time: 22:22'' ''Date: December 21, 2011''' Snow drifted down noiselessly onto Ryan's face as he and his parents walked down the street from the supermarket. They'd just been shopping; the first time Ryan had been out in the real world for four years. He'd been cooped up, like a caged hawk, waiting in patience as he trained. But finally the final test had come and he had passed it brilliantly. He was now a master archer, capable of fighting in multiple forms of martial arts. He remembered the looks on Kevin and Mila's faces as they had praised him on his progress and improvement. Ryan had chosen a black bow, with a red grip. It was slim and structured perfectly for his muscly arms and hands. He was now 17, and no one at any camp could beat him in archery, he was sure of it. The chilled air was nice on his skin, the moonlight filling him with energy. He walked behind his parents, the couple hand in hand as they escorted their son back home. Ryan looked down at the sidewalk, kicking lamely at the pebbles on the ground. Taxi horns honked, angry drivers sent rude gestures flying out of their windows. Despite being out in the open, Ryan felt horrible. In two weeks he was to start school again...but how was he going to explain his absence? His parents had passed it off to the school officials as a horrible illness; they'd even gotten forged documents. But his friends? No, they knew better. He couldn't possibly be sick for that long, because he never got sick. Then Ryan thought of her- Julie Powers. She floated like a distant memory in his mind. He'd never forgotten about her, only what she looked like. All he'd had was the one picture of he and her, embraced together on a picknic blanket at the beach, he in swim trunks, her in a two-piece. But who knew what she looked like now? Maybe she'd gotten a hair cut, changed her style completely. Or maybe she'd moved on...found another boy friend... Suddenley there was a yelp ahead. Ryan looked up. Someone was infront of his parents, had made them stop. Mila's face turned slightly towards Ryan and her lips moved, muttering the words "Run". Ryan obeyed, as he always did, and sprinted down the street. ''Bang! Bang! He felt his heart lodge itself in his throat, felt his stomach twist and turn into a bomb-sized knot, and then explode. He turned slowly on his foot. Behind him, his parents lay dead on the ground, pools of blood spilling from their bodies. "MOM! DAD!" he screamed the words for the first time since he'd been born. Ryan raced towards his parents, but they were gone. Bronze bullets protruded from their schools, soaked in baths of blood. Ryan's face was hot and read, his palms sweat. As if an evil force had lit a match and made him swallow it, he felt the fires of hate ignite in his stomach. He turned his head. The man who had shot his parents- a robber by the looks of what he held in his hands; Mila's jewlery-sprinted down the street at break neck speed...but Ryan was faster. Hate, anger, and sadness fulled his drive, and he pushed forward, sprinted hard after the man. Ryan hollared at the top of his lungs and the robber looked back. Terrified, he raised the gun and fired. Ryan dodged, the bullet whizzing only a few centimeters past his face. Ryan ran forward as the robber ran out of bullets, throwing his gun to the ground. Ahead of them was an abandoned chemical facility, a large neon sign hanging above it titiling: Lugus Industries. The robber, scared out of his wits, ran into the facility, followed in pursuit by Ryan. The facility was large and dark, one dim light illuminating the very back of the place. Giant tanks hung from every wall, some empty, some full of green, bubbly liquid. Ryan stopped in the middle of the room, and focused on his senses, as he had done so many times in training. He honed in speciffacly on his hearing, listening for anything... Scritch... A footstep to his west! Ryan barreled down an isle of file cabinets and tanks, and ran shoulder first into the robber. Falling to the grond, the murderer began to cry for mercy as Ryan beat him. Something had taken over, the spirit of hate and anger and vengance. Ryan's knuckels rapped across his face, each blow spattering a stream of blood across the dirt floor. The mans eyes were lolling into the back of his head, and Ryan knew a few more hits would kill him. Hatred had consumed his conciuess, and if not for his knowledge of self-control, he would have killed the man. Ryan breathed in slowly and lowered his knuckles. "I would kill you," he said, the robber not replying. "But that would make me no better than you." Ryan stood, knuckles bloody and sore, and walked away. Behind him, the criminal sputtered and choked on his blood, begging for mercy and crying out help. Ryan exited the facility and raced back down the street to the crime scene. However, he stopped before he got there. Cars and police were already there, having ropped the area off with yellow caution tape. Ryan stood from a distance, watching the bodies of the only people he'd ever truly loved be carried off in white body bags... End of Chapter Three Category:March 2012 Category:Black Hawk: An Archer's Tale Category:Chapter